


We'll Be Family

by Bhelryss



Series: fefemslash2016 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Day 3: Family, Ephraim (Fire Emblem) - Freeform, F/F, hoots: gAY, i apologize i have no idea what i'm doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 08:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7928461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bhelryss/pseuds/Bhelryss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>FEFemslash Day 3: Family </p><p>(it's late i have no excuses)</p><p>Tana and Eirika's friendship evolves into more. Focuses on the love and support between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Be Family

They were young, hands small and faces chubby. The ends of their hair curling around ears and falling down to shoulders, teal and dark blue, and mixing together where it splayed out across the grass. “Do you think there’s really a man in the moon?” Tana asks, big eyes reflecting starlight and the waxing crescent. She reaches out for Eirika’s hand, and she wiggles closer so that their shoulders can touch.

Ephraim is out of sight, stomping around the garden’s perimeter, and Tana is glad for the moment of seclusion with her best friend. Innes is making similar circles of the garden further out, to prove something stupid to Ephraim or whatever, but Tana doesn’t care about her brother right now. Just Eirika. 

“Well, there is a face.” Eirika replies, slowly enough that it’s clear she’s giving Tana’s question some serious consideration. “And if that doesn’t count I don’t know why people keep talking about the man in the moon.” A pause. “Ephraim thinks it’s a rabbit, not a face.” 

“A rabbit!” Tana says, and she leans up on her elbow so she can stare at Eirika’s face in delight. “I’ve never heard that one before!” With a loud exhale, she flops back onto her back and squeezes Eirika’s hand in hers. “I hope he doesn’t get hungry up there, Mr. Moon Rabbit.”

Tana rolls over, pillows her head on Eirika’s bony arm, and blinks at the stars until they grow blurry and her eyes slide closed. Eirika hums, some tune that’s vaguely familiar to Tana, until they both begin breathing steadily and deeply, asleep in the gardens of Eirika’s home.

* * *

 

They were older, but still young. Hands bigger but still too small to hold what was inevitably coming. Tana leaps from her spot beside Innes once Eirika comes into view, and sprints to the other princess’ side. “Eirika!!” She calls, leaping so that her arms wrap around Eirika’s shoulders first even as Tana’s feet leave the ground. The crushing hug knocks them both to the ground, bony, awkward limbs tangled and poking soft places in a discomforting way. 

“Tana!” Eirika protests, but it’s a protest that’s more than half returned fondness. Ephraim laughs and laughs, and Innes says something pointed that has Tana scowling. Disentangling from Eirika, who she has missed! Oh how she has missed Eirika!! Like a physical ache! Tana carelessly twines their fingers, and swings their arms between them. 

“It’s been so long, Eirika come on! I want to introduce you to the pegasi! If we’re good, Captain Milly will let us give them sugar cubes!” Smiling brightly, heart soaring, Tana pulls Eirika gently along. They leave their brothers to their squabbling, though Ephraim trails behind Eirika like the twins are connected by string tied around their wrists. Innes follows too, though it’s not like she pretends to understand why.

Using their joined hands to point to each pegasus as Captin Milly keeps a close eye on the royal children, Tana names them and their rider, and tells a story about a time she fed them a sugar cube for a trick, or got caught sneaking into the stables by that one’s rider, how she saw that one being birthed and it was cool and scary and a number of other things. 

By dinner, Tana’s already dreading the end of the week when Eirika will return to Renais. “Promise me you’ll write every day.” Tana demands that night, feet tucked underneath her where she perches on the edge of the bed. Eirika, nods solemnly, and holds out a pinkie finger for a swear.

“Promise.”

* * *

 

They’re older now, old enough that they have been through tragedy. Hands scarred, faces a little more weathered. Things are steady, the upheaval of the war finally settling back into a new normal. Tana flies herself to Renais, and is greeted by a sight welcoming and familiar. Eirika’s hair spilling down her back, shining in the sunlight, as she shades her eyes to look up at the pegasus and rider coming down to land.

“Eirika!!” Tana cries, sliding off her mount in order to wrap the queen in a hug. It’s been so long, the busyness of restoration keeping Tana away out of fear she’d be an unhelpful nuisance. It’s been so long that her heart flips at the smile Eirika sends her way. Ah, but her friend looks so tired, it makes Tana long to bundle her into a bed.

“Tana,” Eirika says, and despite the warmth of her expression even her voice is tired. Eirika reaches out and Tana responds, threading their fingers together and giving Eirika’s hand a supportive squeeze. Eirika squeezes back, and some tension in Tana’s shoulders loosens. Ah, but she’s missed this. 

As queen, Eirika can’t spend the entire day with Tana. In fact, shortly after their reunion Eirika is called away for business. Tana works on making sure their time that evening will be well spent, with an informal dinner Eirika doesn’t have to worry about planning and mentally running over the stories she’ll tell and how excited she is to sleep in the same bed as her friend for the first time in years.

Just like when they were children. Just like they did so long ago.

Eirika starts dozing off halfway through their dinner, in the middle of Tana’s second story about an embarrassing moment for Innes during a conversation with Vanessa, and nearly puts her elbow in her food when she jerks fully awake again. “That’s it, bed time.” Tana says cheerily, only allowing Eirika a half-hearted protest before helping her into bed. 

Climbing in, once she was sure that Eirika had done what absolutely had to be done before sleep, Tana’s hand slipped underneath the comforter so her fingers could wrap loosely around Eirika’s wrist. Her best friend’s pulse beating underneath her thumb, Tana nodded off herself. She woke up with Eirika’s head under her chin, feeling warm and happy and safe.

Tana didn’t leave Renais for Frelia until the end of the month.

* * *

 

They’re not much older, maybe four or five months, but something’s changed.Tana flies over to Renais again, things are even more stable than they were during her last visit but Eirika still has little free time. Still, the queen makes just enough time to give her childhood friend a quick but crushing hug before being whisked back into meetings. Tana’s stomach flip-flops at the brief contact, and she watches Eirika go wistfully.

By dinner, Tana has made her decision. They sit at a small table in Eirika’s chambers, another informal meal. Eirika is halfway through a recounting of a particularly vicious verbal takedown of Lord Something-or-other when the count had gotten greedy for resources slotted for lordless, unprotected villages when Tana realizes that Eirika has been rubbing her thumb over Tana’s knuckles for a while.

Eirika must have reached for her hand, Tana thinks, feeling giddy. It’s a good sign. “Eirika,” Tana interrupts, before Eirika can segue into a new story. “We’ve been friends a long time, right?” 

“Since we were small children, yes.”

“And, you’re family to me, you know that, right?”

“Of course.” Eirika says, and her smile is so warm, so fond.

“I want to be a different kind of family, Eirika.” Tana says, turning her hand so that her fingers can lace easily with Eirika’s. “I love you,” she says, and earnestly. “I want to be more than friends, Eirika. I love you.”

“More than best friends?” Eirika teases, but it’s well meant, and she hasn’t let go of Tana’s hand. Tana beams, and Eirika leans forward to press a small kiss to Tana’s lips. “A different kind of family indeed. Have you written Innes yet?” 

Tana shakes her head, red as a tomato but fit to burst with all the emotion she’s feeling.

Pulling Tana up by the hand, Eirika squeezes her hand and smiles so warmly, “Let’s go fix that. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you.” 


End file.
